Russell demonstrates the idea of “self-discovery” through Rita by showing the way in which Rita has progressed during the play. At the beginning, Rita is the innocent student who wants “choices”. She feels that she will be able to escape from the vicious circle that exists in working class society.
The first signs of Rita’s discovery are shown through her actions. Her first entrance is a forced entry into the office of Frank, whilst on her second visit she oils the door to make it easier for her to enter. Eventually, Russell no longer shows her entrance into the office but has her already there when the scene begins.
Frank, shows less signs of self-discovery although he does in fact discover rather a lot about himself because of Rita. Frank has a drinking habit that he acknowledges but he does hide the signs of it and when Rita thinks she’s “reformed” him he finds it highly amusing. Although Frank does not in fact cease drinking, he does get worse and it is the ultimate reason for his “sabbatical” to Australia. On the other hand, Frank’s relationship with his former student Julia disintegrates as his fondness for Rita grows. Russell does this to show how the life of the teacher who is apparently stuck in a rut is also changing.
The areas that Rita studies show how she has progressed. When she begins to form her own ideas which would hold their own in an examination, Frank doesn’t appreciate it, he thinks that the progress Rita has made will make him lose her. “Don’t y’ like me now that the little girl’s grown up, now that y’ can no longer bounce me on daddy’s knee?”
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How does Russell use social differences between the characters to dramatic effect in Educating Rita?
There is an obvious difference in the social class that both Frank and Rita reside. As a hairdresser of working class background, Rita is a complete contrast to Frank who is a university lecturer of middle class background.
Russell uses the difference in the styles of language used by the two characters to show their level of education. Rita went to a mainstream school while it is hinted that Frank had private schooling and appears to be horrified by Rita’s views.
“RITA I always wanted to go to a boardin’ school
FRANK God forbid it, why?”
The difference in their language shows how different the two characters are and how they would never be accepted, at that point, into each other’s social circles.
As “Educating Rita” goes on, Rita becomes much better at English Literature, eventually understanding what Frank teaches her and trying as hard as possible to ‘become’ middle class. Rita leaves her husband Denny to live in a flat with Trish who is, in Rita’s eyes, “dead classy”. Russell injects Trish into the plot to show that fitting into middle class society isn’t what she first thinks it to be. She finds out that regardless of class, everyone has insecurities. Russell does this to prevent the audience from having any misconceptions about class. He doesn’t want to create a completely decrepit society within working class and he doesn’t want to polish the edges of the middle class so that it is seen through rose-tinted glasses. “I thought she was so cool an’ together – I came home the other night an’ she’d tried to top herself.”
Russell makes constant use of contrast when dealing with Frank and Rita, there is a period around the central part of the play during which Frank and Rita’s lives cross paths. Frank invites Rita to his home for a dinner party and Rita still feels unable to attend, instead, she visits her family at a local pub and it is here that she realises that she is a “half-caste”. Even her own mother is aware that she has gone too far to return to her past life. “We could sing better songs than these.”
Although the whole play is set in Frank’s office, beyond this point the main focus often moves away from her education and more to her transition into middle class society as an “educated woman”. Frank is no longer all powerful in Rita’s eyes and she has gained a life of her own that he has no control over. Frank sees her as a monster and uses literary allusion to tell her this. “From now on I shall call myself Mary Shelley. Do you understand that allusion Rita?”
Without the use of social differences between the characters of Frank and Rita, Russell could never quite show the audience why they act in the way they do. Without this, much of the dramatic effectiveness within the play would be lost.
